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Economy of Ireland vs United States compared: GDP & Debt

Updated on by Georank team

Ireland has a GDP of $577B compared to $29.2T for the United States, ranking 26/197 and 1/197 by economy size, respectively.

Ireland has $237B in government debt (36.7% of GDP), compared to $35.3T (122.5% of GDP) in the United States.

The chart below compares the two countries' GDP growth in both current (nominal) and constant dollars, accounting for inflation over time.

Ireland
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
United States
GDP, current $

GDP, constant 2015 $
Year GDP
Ireland United States
Current $ Constant $ Current $ Constant $
1960 $1,998,550,222 $24,135,304,212 $542,390,475,099 $3,406,320,762,469
1961 $2,151,772,980 $25,345,971,888 $562,640,778,342 $3,493,704,590,510
1962 $2,329,372,972 $26,161,210,989 $604,729,643,906 $3,707,855,986,272
1963 $2,505,073,358 $27,402,464,757 $638,380,883,119 $3,869,417,876,418
1964 $2,851,091,646 $28,439,911,537 $685,631,590,687 $4,092,402,635,290
1965 $3,035,655,794 $28,989,783,007 $743,503,780,837 $4,358,345,546,392
1966 $3,198,820,904 $29,248,688,585 $814,082,043,611 $4,645,793,322,317
1967 $3,445,739,915 $30,940,931,207 $860,737,154,024 $4,773,211,933,326
1968 $3,378,701,147 $33,491,679,547 $941,639,100,804 $5,007,791,880,197
1969 $3,902,721,632 $35,455,583,097 $1,018,471,133,697 $5,164,159,048,266
1970 $4,395,995,086 $36,398,889,273 $1,073,303,000,000 $5,173,693,085,767
1971 $5,098,250,287 $37,661,889,497 $1,164,850,000,000 $5,344,048,439,509
1972 $6,318,060,582 $40,106,073,853 $1,279,110,000,000 $5,624,905,010,373
1973 $7,481,173,066 $41,999,654,025 $1,425,376,000,000 $5,942,469,134,010
1974 $7,896,860,615 $43,788,935,191 $1,545,243,000,000 $5,910,347,105,857
1975 $9,483,808,362 $46,265,920,023 $1,684,904,000,000 $5,898,194,297,823
1976 $9,453,756,015 $46,911,240,716 $1,873,412,000,000 $6,215,991,006,431
1977 $11,248,340,431 $50,763,263,747 $2,081,826,000,000 $6,503,430,023,927
1978 $14,647,996,074 $54,411,482,150 $2,351,599,000,000 $6,863,408,303,981
1979 $18,319,334,300 $56,083,566,026 $2,627,333,000,000 $7,080,703,002,910
1980 $21,747,855,640 $57,810,564,161 $2,857,307,000,000 $7,062,521,475,645
1981 $20,670,190,138 $59,732,889,691 $3,207,041,000,000 $7,241,747,172,534
1982 $21,474,754,080 $61,096,872,066 $3,343,789,000,000 $7,111,177,473,088
1983 $20,766,047,764 $60,947,611,497 $3,634,038,000,000 $7,437,138,984,659
1984 $20,106,648,455 $63,601,496,993 $4,037,613,000,000 $7,975,324,064,261
1985 $21,270,013,326 $65,563,994,971 $4,338,979,000,000 $8,307,861,210,352
1986 $28,714,571,852 $65,283,164,433 $4,579,631,000,000 $8,595,533,785,978
1987 $33,920,518,493 $68,327,377,194 $4,855,215,000,000 $8,892,477,646,208
1988 $37,772,897,421 $71,892,299,777 $5,236,438,000,000 $9,263,914,872,018
1989 $39,238,392,678 $76,072,060,855 $5,641,580,000,000 $9,604,107,858,980
1990 $49,305,632,408 $82,512,722,627 $5,963,144,000,000 $9,785,238,027,789
1991 $49,787,502,852 $84,104,920,354 $6,158,129,000,000 $9,774,639,354,479
1992 $55,918,538,121 $86,916,779,429 $6,520,327,000,000 $10,118,950,749,801
1993 $52,417,477,614 $89,257,108,591 $6,858,559,000,000 $10,397,403,618,243
1994 $57,097,656,066 $94,394,592,358 $7,287,236,000,000 $10,816,317,372,939
1995 $69,139,823,232 $103,488,966,796 $7,639,749,000,000 $11,106,673,920,743
1996 $75,790,785,030 $111,126,062,335 $8,073,122,000,000 $11,525,703,481,346
1997 $82,856,648,758 $123,374,112,120 $8,577,552,000,000 $12,038,266,260,922
1998 $90,199,410,116 $134,189,242,521 $9,062,817,000,000 $12,577,957,790,462
1999 $98,893,958,263 $148,319,214,947 $9,631,172,000,000 $13,180,243,872,015
2000 $100,207,610,430 $162,266,448,874 $10,250,952,000,000 $13,717,679,619,283
2001 $109,346,669,230 $170,876,017,448 $10,581,929,000,000 $13,848,757,307,663
2002 $128,596,035,288 $180,956,619,890 $10,929,108,000,000 $14,084,248,131,241
2003 $164,670,771,260 $186,410,359,135 $11,456,450,000,000 $14,477,988,212,153
2004 $194,372,115,041 $199,064,153,315 $12,217,196,000,000 $15,035,068,144,476
2005 $211,876,989,656 $210,490,003,080 $13,039,197,000,000 $15,558,822,251,117
2006 $232,180,617,162 $220,988,938,813 $13,815,583,000,000 $15,992,063,823,933
2007 $270,079,279,420 $232,723,709,425 $14,474,228,000,000 $16,312,522,122,065
2008 $275,447,471,451 $222,288,216,395 $14,769,862,000,000 $16,331,051,067,049
2009 $236,443,117,248 $210,960,893,946 $14,478,067,000,000 $15,910,281,498,378
2010 $221,985,621,538 $214,511,307,293 $15,048,971,000,000 $16,339,094,225,153
2011 $241,337,364,610 $218,048,113,964 $15,599,732,000,000 $16,594,704,135,317
2012 $227,270,922,957 $217,178,188,158 $16,253,970,000,000 $16,974,575,729,098
2013 $243,301,556,085 $221,939,116,699 $16,880,683,000,000 $17,334,068,402,874
2014 $266,787,238,499 $242,659,427,540 $17,608,138,000,000 $17,771,549,055,751
2015 $302,391,428,540 $302,391,428,540 $18,295,019,000,000 $18,295,019,000,000
2016 $305,733,136,181 $306,088,582,543 $18,804,913,000,000 $18,627,887,993,268
2017 $348,532,394,024 $336,849,347,915 $19,612,102,000,000 $19,085,691,122,935
2018 $395,461,216,460 $362,262,415,223 $20,656,516,000,000 $19,651,869,117,583
2019 $407,124,824,065 $380,522,433,254 $21,539,982,000,000 $20,159,639,089,698
2020 $436,555,518,400 $407,759,843,938 $21,354,105,000,000 $19,723,580,221,938
2021 $531,306,516,908 $474,043,708,272 $23,681,171,000,000 $20,917,853,444,668
2022 $548,570,250,342 $514,903,922,090 $26,006,893,000,000 $21,443,388,432,051
2023 $551,394,889,340 $486,429,697,154 $27,720,709,000,000 $22,062,578,283,267
2024 $577,389,475,010 $492,370,629,886 $29,184,890,000,000 $22,679,489,969,556

Economic indicators

Ireland United States
Gross domestic product
$577B
2024
$29.2T
2024
GDP rank
26/197
2024
1/197
2024
GDP growth
4.71%
2023-2024
5.28%
2023-2024
GDP per capita
$107,316
2024
$85,810
2024
GDP per capita rank
4/197
2024
9/197
2024
GDP per capita, PPP
$131,175
2024
$85,810
2024
Government debt
$237B
2024
$35.3T
2024
Debt-to-GDP ratio
36.7%
2025
122.5%
2025
Government debt per person
$44,121
2024
$103,646
2024
Government debt per person rank
11/185
2024
2/185
2024
Average annual personal income after taxes
$44,579
2025
$54,474
2025
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$110B
2018
$62.2T
2024
Number of millionaires n/a
21,951,319
2024
Number of billionaires
11
2025
902
2025
Income share by richest 10%
24.1%
2023
30.4%
2023
Income share by poorest 10%
3.7%
2023
1.8%
2023
Government expenditure, % of GDP
23.9%
2025
37.8%
2025
Consumer prices inflation
2.11%
2023-2024
2.95%
2023-2024
Central bank interest rate n/a
4.25%
2025
Unemployment rate
4.27%
2024
4.02%
2024
Population
5474763
343323530

GDP per capita in Ireland vs United States

Ireland's GDP per capita is $107,316, ranking 4/197, compared to $85,810 in the United States, ranking 9/197. Adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita PPP), Ireland ranks 4th at $131,175, while the United States ranks 11th at $85,810.

Ireland
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
United States
GDP per capita

GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
Ireland United States
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $707 - $3,002 -
1961 $762 - $3,063 -
1962 $821 - $3,242 -
1963 $878 - $3,373 -
1964 $995 - $3,573 -
1965 $1,055 - $3,827 -
1966 $1,107 - $4,142 -
1967 $1,187 - $4,332 -
1968 $1,159 - $4,692 -
1969 $1,331 - $5,025 -
1970 $1,487 - $5,234 -
1971 $1,704 - $5,609 -
1972 $2,080 - $6,094 -
1973 $2,424 - $6,726 -
1974 $2,517 - $7,226 -
1975 $2,973 - $7,801 -
1976 $2,920 - $8,592 -
1977 $3,427 - $9,453 -
1978 $4,400 - $10,565 -
1979 $5,430 - $11,674 -
1980 $6,372 - $12,613 -
1981 $5,986 - $13,976 -
1982 $6,161 - $14,434 -
1983 $5,915 - $15,544 -
1984 $5,692 - $17,121 -
1985 $6,012 - $18,237 -
1986 $8,112 - $19,071 -
1987 $9,582 - $20,039 -
1988 $10,716 - $21,417 -
1989 $11,176 - $22,857 -
1990 $14,031 $13,734 $23,840 $23,889
1991 $14,087 $14,389 $24,293 $24,342
1992 $15,714 $15,106 $25,381 $25,419
1993 $14,657 $15,801 $26,353 $26,387
1994 $15,903 $17,000 $27,662 $27,695
1995 $19,158 $18,932 $28,661 $28,691
1996 $20,836 $20,474 $29,937 $29,968
1997 $22,551 $22,632 $31,430 $31,459
1998 $24,295 $25,092 $32,823 $32,854
1999 $26,338 $27,041 $34,484 $34,515
2000 $26,335 $30,209 $36,330 $36,330
2001 $28,282 $32,577 $37,134 $37,134
2002 $32,705 $35,222 $37,998 $37,998
2003 $41,204 $36,285 $39,490 $39,490
2004 $47,754 $38,734 $41,725 $41,725
2005 $50,933 $40,466 $44,123 $44,123
2006 $54,329 $44,232 $46,302 $46,302
2007 $61,396 $46,784 $48,050 $48,050
2008 $61,353 $44,169 $48,570 $48,570
2009 $52,133 $41,470 $47,195 $47,195
2010 $48,679 $43,217 $48,651 $48,643
2011 $52,693 $45,526 $50,066 $50,025
2012 $49,412 $46,726 $51,784 $51,708
2013 $52,619 $48,839 $53,410 $53,297
2014 $57,278 $52,641 $55,304 $55,153
2015 $64,312 $71,607 $57,040 $56,849
2016 $64,193 $73,013 $58,207 $57,977
2017 $72,198 $80,450 $60,322 $60,048
2018 $80,739 $86,299 $63,201 $62,876
2019 $81,810 $92,023 $65,605 $65,228
2020 $86,623 $97,800 $64,411 $64,402
2021 $103,962 $116,904 $71,352 $71,307
2022 $105,235 $136,104 $78,035 $77,861
2023 $103,888 $124,901 $82,769 $82,305
2024 $107,316 $131,175 $85,810 $85,810

Spending and national debt comparison

In 2024, Ireland's government spending was $135B, accounting for 23.9% of its GDP, while the United States' spent $11T, or 37.8% of GDP.

Debt-to-GDP ratio is 36.7% in Ireland and 122.5% in the United States, ranking 143/185 and 11/185, respectively.

Ireland
Government spending

Government debt
United States
Government spending

Government debt
Year % of GDP
Ireland United States
Government spending Government debt Government spending Government debt
1960 29.1% 44.9% 24.9% 61.7%
1961 31.4% 44.3% 25.9% 62.3%
1962 31.7% 44.5% 26% 60.2%
1963 33.6% 45.2% 26% 58.8%
1964 34.8% 43.1% 25.6% 56.7%
1965 35.8% 44.6% 25.4% 53.7%
1966 36.9% 47.7% 26.3% 50.6%
1967 39.3% 47.1% 28.3% 50.4%
1968 40% 44.7% 29.1% 48.5%
1969 42.5% 42.6% 29.3% 45.9%
1970 44.1% 41.7% 31.5% 46.4%
1971 45.3% 39.8% 32.3% 47%
1972 41.5% 37.3% 32.8% 45.4%
1973 40.3% 35.1% 31.9% 42.6%
1974 44.3% 43.5% 32.9% 41.4%
1975 48.2% 48.3% 35.2% 44.6%
1976 47.8% 51.7% 34.2% 44.8%
1977 44.6% 49.2% 33.4% 43.6%
1978 46.2% 50.6% 32.6% 42.5%
1979 48.7% 63.5% 32% 41.2%
1980 53.7% 64.6% 33.7% 41.9%
1981 54.1% 68.8% 33.9% 41.1%
1982 56.7% 73.5% 35.8% 45.9%
1983 55.6% 86.1% 35.7% 48.9%
1984 52.7% 90.2% 34.3% 50.6%
1985 53.2% 93% 34.5% 55.4%
1986 52.9% 107.2% 34.8% 58.9%
1987 51.4% 108.3% 34.3% 60.6%
1988 48.2% 106.5% 33.7% 61.3%
1989 42.5% 97.9% 33.7% 61.6%
1990 44.6% 92.7% 34.5% 63.1%
1991 46.1% 93.8% 35.7% 67.9%
1992 46.8% 90.6% 36.7% 70.3%
1993 44.6% 93.4% 36.4% 71.9%
1994 44.2% 88% 35.5% 71.1%
1995 40.3% 78.5% 35.5% 70.7%
1996 38.5% 69.8% 34.7% 69.9%
1997 36.1% 61.6% 33.7% 67.4%
1998 34.2% 51.4% 32.8% 64.2%
1999 32.5% 46.6% 32.2% 60.5%
2000 30.6% 36.4% 31.7% 54.5%
2001 32.2% 33.6% 32.8% 53.3%
2002 32.9% 30.9% 33.7% 55.7%
2003 32.7% 29.8% 34% 58.8%
2004 32.8% 28.1% 33.7% 66.3%
2005 33% 26.1% 33.9% 65.6%
2006 33.6% 23.7% 33.7% 64.3%
2007 35.6% 23.9% 34.6% 64.7%
2008 41.6% 42.5% 37.1% 73.6%
2009 46.9% 61.8% 41.4% 86.8%
2010 64.9% 86.1% 39.8% 95.3%
2011 46.8% 109.4% 38.8% 99.7%
2012 42.2% 118.7% 37.2% 103.2%
2013 39.8% 117.5% 35.8% 104.5%
2014 36.5% 101.3% 35.3% 104.4%
2015 28% 74% 35% 104.9%
2016 27.5% 72.6% 35.3% 106.8%
2017 25.3% 65.2% 35.2% 105.7%
2018 24.8% 61.5% 35.3% 107%
2019 23.9% 55.9% 35.8% 108.2%
2020 26.7% 57% 44.8% 132%
2021 23.6% 52.6% 43.2% 124.7%
2022 20.6% 43.1% 36.8% 118.8%
2023 22.7% 43.3% 37.1% 119%
2024 23.4% 41.1% 37.6% 120.8%
2025 23.9% 36.7% 37.8% 122.5%

Government deficit by year

In 2024, Ireland's government surplus, the difference between spending and revenue, was $25.3B, equivalent to 4.38% of GDP. This compares to the United States' deficit of -$2.12T, or -7.26% of GDP.

Over the past 65 years, Ireland recorded a fiscal deficit in 50 of those years, while the United States ran a deficit in 51 years. On average, Ireland posted an annual deficit equal to -4.14% of GDP, compared to deficit of -2.72% of GDP for the United States.

Deficit/surplus
Ireland

United States
Year Deficit/surplus, % of GDP
Ireland United States
1800 - 0.01%
1801 - 0.67%
1802 - 1.46%
1803 - 0.66%
1804 - 0.58%
1805 - 0.52%
1806 - 0.95%
1807 - 1.43%
1808 - 1.55%
1809 - -0.5%
1810 - 0.21%
1811 - 1.1%
1812 - -1.84%
1813 - -2.78%
1814 - -3.36%
1815 - -2.09%
1816 - 2%
1817 - 1.33%
1818 - 0.22%
1819 - 0.42%
1820 - -0.06%
1821 - -0.2%
1822 - 0.74%
1823 - 0.83%
1824 - -0.13%
1825 - 0.7%
1826 - 0.93%
1827 - 0.79%
1828 - 0.95%
1829 - 1.06%
1830 - 1.04%
1831 - 1.24%
1832 - 1.26%
1833 - 0.84%
1834 - 0.24%
1835 - 1.09%
1836 - 1.05%
1837 - -0.67%
1838 - -0.43%
1839 - 0.24%
1840 - -0.28%
1841 - -0.56%
1842 - -0.31%
1843 - -0.22%
1844 - 0.38%
1845 - 0.36%
1846 - 0.09%
1847 - -1.32%
1848 - -0.41%
1849 - -0.59%
1850 - 0.16%
1851 - 0.18%
1852 - 0.19%
1853 - 0.39%
1854 - 0.41%
1855 - 0.14%
1856 - 0.11%
1857 - 0.03%
1858 - -0.68%
1859 - -0.36%
1860 - -0.16%
1861 - -0.54%
1862 - -7.67%
1863 - -8.2%
1864 - -6.3%
1865 - -10.2%
1866 - 0.41%
1867 - 1.5%
1868 - 0.33%
1869 - 0.56%
1870 - 1.25%
1871 - 1.14%
1872 - 1.03%
1873 - 0.47%
1874 - 0.03%
1875 - 0.16%
1876 - 0.33%
1877 - 0.44%
1878 - 0.23%
1879 - 0.07%
1880 - 0.55%
1881 - 0.85%
1882 - 1.08%
1883 - 1.06%
1884 - 0.85%
1885 - 0.52%
1886 - 0.7%
1887 - 0.75%
1888 - 0.82%
1889 - 0.6%
1890 - 0.59%
1891 - 0.17%
1892 - 0.06%
1893 - 0.02%
1894 - -0.45%
1895 - -0.2%
1896 - -0.09%
1897 - -0.11%
1898 - -0.23%
1899 - -0.48%
1900 - 0.24%
1901 - 0.29%
1902 - 0.35%
1903 - 0.18%
1904 - -0.18%
1905 - -0.09%
1906 - 0.08%
1907 - 0.28%
1908 - -0.22%
1909 - -0.29%
1910 - -0.06%
1911 - 0.03%
1912 - 0.008%
1913 - -0.001%
1914 - -0.001%
1915 - -0.17%
1916 - 0.11%
1917 - -1.64%
1918 - -13.5%
1919 - -17.5%
1920 - 0.33%
1921 - 0.69%
1922 - 1.01%
1923 - 0.84%
1924 - 1.11%
1925 - 0.78%
1926 -1.95% 0.89%
1927 -1.95% 1.19%
1928 -1.95% 0.97%
1929 -3.41% -4.58%
1930 -3.41% -5.46%
1931 -1.63% -9.76%
1932 -1.63% -12.7%
1933 2.97% -14.3%
1934 2.97% -14.9%
1935 2.97% -13.3%
1936 -0.19% -12.1%
1937 -0.77% -9.22%
1938 -0.92% -10.4%
1939 -7.31% -11.9%
1940 -0.15% -9.73%
1941 -1.42% -10.2%
1942 -2.48% -16.3%
1943 -1.18% -19.3%
1944 0.39% -13.4%
1945 -0.43% -14.1%
1946 -0.43% -6.45%
1947 -1.8% -3.99%
1948 -1.29% -4.16%
1949 -2.17% -7.94%
1950 -5.21% -8.22%
1951 -4.62% -6.93%
1952 -7.84% -5.41%
1953 -5.77% -5.76%
1954 -5.28% -5.55%
1955 -5.06% -7.4%
1956 -3.23% -6.02%
1957 -5.19% -6.72%
1958 -4.3% -8.68%
1959 -2.16% -9.06%
1960 -1.97% 3.2%
1961 -2.6% 2.28%
1962 -2.91% 2.32%
1963 -2.92% 2.87%
1964 -3.35% 2.18%
1965 -3.5% 2.38%
1966 -2.26% 2.07%
1967 -2.69% 0.47%
1968 -2.72% 1.23%
1969 -3.4% 2.11%
1970 -3.64% -1.21%
1971 -3.5% -2.63%
1972 -3.23% -1.86%
1973 -3.84% -0.86%
1974 -6.96% -1.27%
1975 -11.1% -5.4%
1976 -7.34% -3.63%
1977 -6.44% -2.57%
1978 -8.27% -1.7%
1979 -10% -0.79%
1980 -11.1% -2.17%
1981 -12.1% -1.58%
1982 -13.1% -3.78%
1983 -11.5% -4.26%
1984 -9.43% -2.97%
1985 -10.7% -2.63%
1986 -10.5% -2.81%
1987 -8.47% -1.53%
1988 -4.62% -1.06%
1989 -2.64% -0.8%
1990 -2.69% -1.64%
1991 -2.8% -2.72%
1992 -2.84% -3.98%
1993 -2.62% -3.35%
1994 -1.82% -2.05%
1995 -2.07% -1.7%
1996 -0.2% -0.46%
1997 1.37% 0.88%
1998 2.07% 2.18%
1999 3.54% 2.71%
2000 4.86% 3.62%
2001 0.96% -0.54%
2002 -0.52% -3.82%
2003 0.35% -4.77%
2004 1.3% -4.24%
2005 1.57% -3.07%
2006 2.78% -2.04%
2007 0.27% -2.91%
2008 -7.03% -6.61%
2009 -13.9% -13.2%
2010 -32.1% -11%
2011 -13.5% -9.72%
2012 -8.4% -8.11%
2013 -6.27% -4.56%
2014 -3.51% -4.03%
2015 -1.97% -3.53%
2016 -0.76% -4.36%
2017 -0.3% -4.79%
2018 0.09% -5.33%
2019 0.41% -5.81%
2020 -4.88% -14.1%
2021 -1.4% -11.4%
2022 1.65% -3.7%
2023 1.48% -7.16%
2024 4.38% -7.26%
2025 1.69% -6.46%

Inflation comparison by year

Over the past 29 years, Ireland has recorded an average annual inflation rate of 2.16%, compared with 2.53% in the United States. In 2024, inflation was 2.11% in Ireland and 2.95% in the United States.

Inflation
Ireland

United States
Year Inflation
Ireland United States Ireland United States
1996 1.76% 2.93%
1997 1.54% 2.34%
1998 2.41% 1.55%
1999 1.63% 2.19%
2000 5.58% 3.38%
2001 4.85% 2.83%
2002 4.63% 1.59%
2003 3.49% 2.27%
2004 2.18% 2.68%
2005 2.46% 3.39%
2006 3.94% 3.23%
2007 4.89% 2.85%
2008 4.04% 3.84%
2009 -4.45% -0.36%
2010 -0.92% 1.64%
2011 2.55% 3.16%
2012 1.69% 2.07%
2013 0.52% 1.46%
2014 0.19% 1.62%
2015 -0.33% 0.12%
2016 0.02% 1.26%
2017 0.36% 2.13%
2018 0.47% 2.44%
2019 0.94% 1.81%
2020 -0.33% 1.23%
2021 2.34% 4.7%
2022 7.83% 8%
2023 6.3% 4.12%
2024 2.11% 2.95%

Top exports between countries

Ireland
Export category Export value
Chemicals & pharma $63.1B
IT & IP services $19B
Business & finance services $14B
Machinery & equipment $12.8B
Transport & tourism services $2.16B
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $1.27B
Manufacturing & construction services $871M
Animal & marine products $757M
Textiles & consumer goods $211M
Precious metals & jewellery $167M
United States
Export category Export value
Business & finance services $52.5B
IT & IP services $29.8B
Machinery & equipment $6.88B
Chemicals & pharma $6.1B
Transport & tourism services $1.77B
Raw materials & minerals $1.12B
Textiles & consumer goods $657M
Miscellaneous $599M
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $491M
Metals $279M

Balance of trade

Ireland United States
Current account balance
$44.7B
2023
-$1.19T
2024
Current account balance ranking
14/189
2023
189/189
2024
Current account balance, % of GDP
+8.11%
2023
-4.06%
2024
Goods imports
$162B
2023
$3.3T
2024
Goods exports
$330B
2023
$2.08T
2024
Service imports
$419B
2023
$841B
2024
Service exports
$431B
2023
$1.15T
2024
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
105.4%
2024
14%
2024
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
147.6%
2024
10.9%
2024

Economic freedom indices

The indices of economic freedom below are issued by the Heritage Foundation. Higher scores indicate stronger economic health.

Ireland United States
Economic freedom 83.1 70.2
Economic freedom ranking 3/197 34/197
Property rights 94.1 95.4
Government integrity 84 77.3
Judicial effectiveness 95.5 76.6
Tax burden 77.6 75.6
Government spending 85.1 55.8
Fiscal health 95.8 0
Business freedom 88.1 88.5
Labor freedom 62.4 77
Monetary freedom 75 70.7
Trade freedom 79.6 75.6
Investment freedom 90 70
Financial freedom 70 80

Economic freedom by year comparison

The Economic Freedom Index for Ireland is 83.1, ranking 3/197, compared to 70.2 for the United States, ranking 34/197. The chart below displays a comparison of annual changes in economic freedom indexes.

Ireland
United States
Year Economic freedom index
Ireland United States
1995 68.5 76.7
1996 68.5 76.7
1997 72.6 75.6
1998 73.7 75.4
1999 74.6 75.5
2000 76.1 76.4
2001 81.2 79.1
2002 80.5 78.4
2003 80.9 78.2
2004 80.3 78.7
2005 80.8 79.9
2006 82.2 81.2
2007 82.6 81.2
2008 82.5 81
2009 82.2 80.7
2010 81.3 78
2011 78.7 77.8
2012 76.9 76.3
2013 75.7 76
2014 76.2 75.5
2015 76.6 76.2
2016 77.3 75.4
2017 76.7 75.1
2018 80.4 75.7
2019 80.5 76.8
2020 80.9 76.6
2021 81.4 74.8
2022 82 72.1
2023 82 70.6
2024 82.6 70.1
2025 83.1 70.2

More economic indicators

Ireland United States
Services, % of GDP
61.8%
2024
79.7%
2024
Industry, % of GDP
30.8%
2024
17.3%
2024
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
1.05%
2024
0.85%
2024
GNI, Atlas method
$419B
2024
$28.5T
2024
GNI per capita, PPP
$99,470
2024
$85,980
2024
Total reserves including gold
$12.7B
2024
$910B
2024
Total reserves ranking
73/177
2024
3/177
2024
Net foreign direct investment
$12.9B
2023
$25.1B
2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
-$38.9B
2024
$297B
2024
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$24.9B
2024
$322B
2024
Poverty at national poverty lines
14%
2021
15.1%
2020
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
17.4%
2024
21.7%
2024

GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Economy comparisons

Economy vs Ireland vs United States
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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.